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Methods of Language Study.

There are many ways of learing a foreign language, because individual minds work differently in the acquisition of knowledge. While it is hoped that this Dictionary may be of assistance to the language student no matter what method is used, a few practical suggestions are offered embodying the results of the experience and observation of a number of competent students of the language:

1. For those whose experience in language study consists chiefly of school Latin or French learned largely from text-books and by rules of grammar, it is necessary to emphasize the fact that learning to understand and speak a language is primarily a matter of drill. The problem is that of making new nerve connections and making them accurate and habitual. Ideas which the adult student already has must be connected with certain vibrations of the auditory nerve on the one hand, and with certain muscular reactions of the organs of speech on the other. Neither of these connections is at first accurate, in other words, at first one can neither hear nor speak accurately. Great care should be taken to correct these inaccuracies as rapidly as possible, or bad habits will result. Once accurate, they require a considerable amount of sheer drill before they become easy and natural. Wise drill used with discrimination where it is most needed, is the secret of rapid progress in the use of language.

2. Read carefully the material on pronunciation and tones, noting the description of the sounds of the initials and finals and tones. The first week's work should be largely listening. In trying to learn the tones and first phrases, the teacher should say them over several times before the student attempts them. The ear should be trained to hear correctly before the student is confused by the use of western symbols which are apt to mislead. Few of the Romanized symbols which are used accurately represent to the Western ear the desired sound, so it is probably best not to use the Romanized at first until one has learned the sound from the Chinese teacher directly. If desired, the Foochow Phonetic Script might be used, thus avoiding the western associations of the Romanized. Some students find it instructive at first to make up their own Romanized. When the student is ready for the visual representation of the sounds, however, the regular Romanized script which is used in this Dictionary will be found better than any system a new student could work out for himself.

3. Tone drill should be used with discrimination, emphasizing the difficult sounds. It should be supplemented at an early date by drill on tones in combination, which require special attention since